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What is Classical Dressage

Classical Dressage presents a horse and rider in perfect harmony with ease and grace. The question is how is this accomplished? In order to have a quiet graceful connection with your horse you must first figure out how to handle the motion of the horse. Riders will handle the motion in many different ways. You will see riders sending it up through the body to a bobbing head, others will send it wiggling through the spine, others will take it into the hip and flip the hip. All of these methods of dealing with the motion of the horse will shed it at the end of its rippling journey through the body, but it doesn’t present a Classical picture of graceful balance. In order to present a classical picture you need to shed the motion down the thigh and out the knee, or allow the motion of the horse to fall your thigh and drop out your knee. Also your connection with your horses mouth must be soft, yet asking and giving. Whatever aids you choose to use must be invisible. Thus a horse and rider with a Classical Dressage appearance.

All horses are trained in Classical Dressage the Aspirant Way at Isaac Royal Farm. Each rider, rides her horse with a classical seat of elegant balance. This technique allows you to become one with your horse and ride through the levels of dressage with ease and grace. It creates a talented rider that can feel what her horse needs. Carolyn Rose has written a series of books that explain this Classical Training technique in detail.